Mae Questel
Mae Questel ---- Mae Questel was a voice actress best known for voicing Olive Oyl and Betty Boop. At the age of 17, she won a competition in order to select a young lady who could most successfully imitate Helen Kane's baby talk act, singing "He's So Unusual" in a "Helen Kane Impersonation Contest". Cartoon filmmaker Max Fleischer saw Questel's impersonation of Helen Kane in 1931 and asked her to use it for his cartoon creation, Betty Boop. The character, which began life as a cartoon dog with Kane-like affectations, had already been voiced by various actresses, most notably Margie Hines, Little Ann Little, Bonnie Poe, and Kate Wright. Each of these actresses utilized Kane's flirty, babydoll voice and catchphrase "Boop-Oop-a-Doop," but it was Questel who made Betty Boop a media phenomenon. A better singer and improviser than her predecessors, she also modeled for Fleischer's animators, who based many of the character's emerging physical quirks on Questel's own mannerisms. Indeed, Questel told Leslie Cabarga, author of The Fleischer Story; "I actually lived the part of Betty Boop, walked, talked, everything! It took me a long time to sort of lower my voice and get away from the character." She began in vaudeville, and played occasional small roles in films and television later in her career, most notably the role of Aunt Bethany in 1989's National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Over the years, she played a number of small parts, including appearing with Rudy Vallee as Betty Boop in the 1931 short Musical Justice, and as a nurse in The Musical Doctor ''in 1932. From 1931 until 1938, Questel provided the voice of Betty and had the longest run for any actress doing so. During the 1930s, she released a recording of "On the Good Ship Lollipop", which sold more than two million copies. Mae also used to portray Betty in person and after a Betty Boop cartoon had been shown to a live audience, she would jump through a paper heart dressed as Betty, and also appeared on radio as Betty. Most prominent was her appearance on [[The Shell Show. January 16, 1937|''The Shell Show,'' January 16, 1937]]. Instead of saying "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" Mae would often say Boop-Boop-"e"-Doop (to make it her own) and sometimes Boop-Boop-"Be"-Doop. The "e" can be heard clearly in some of her Boop routines. Betty's actual scat lyrics are supposed to be Boop-Oop-"a"-Doop. In the 1962 college comedy episode ''Gentlemen Caller, Mae plays a character called Jenny and states her fave song is "Button Up Your Overcoat." During the 1980s, Mae Questel became ill and retired, but still had a contract with King Features for Olive Oyl from the Popeye the Sailor series. In 1980, Questel was replaced by Victoria D'orazi because it was felt by New Line Cinema that Questel's voice was inappropriate for the new songs that were included. Questel was also replaced by Desirée Goyette in 1985 as the voice of Betty Boop. The reason for this was that Bill Melendez commented that he had planned to animate the character better than the Fleischer artists ever had. He stated that he had no plans to hire any of the original animators who had worked on the original shorts, nor would he consider using Mae Questel, Betty's longtime voice. According to Desirée Goyette, Questel was contacted first but she was elderly at the time and her voice had dropped; "quite a lot actually." Mae Questel reprised her role as Betty in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, yet in 1989 she would be replaced again by Melissa Fahn. George Evelyn, the director of Betty Boop's Hollywood Mystery, told a writer of a production company that he wanted to re-create the Fleischer look and did so in part with the help of Richard Fleischer, who supplied materials from the family archives. Everlyn had wanted to use Mae Questel for Betty's voice, but she was busy filming Woody Allen's segment of New York Stories. Evelyn launched a series of auditions, and in true "Hollywood" fashion the secretary (Melissa Fahn) at the recording studio that was producing copies of the audition tapes had the voice Evelyn sought. During the 70s and 80s, Questel used her Betty Boop voice in interviews and conventions and would occasionally perform a song made popular by Helen Kane in the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" style. "Button Up Your Overcoat," is a song that was never performed by Betty Boop in the cartoon series, but was a popular song in the 1920s, and has been covered by a galaxy of performers, Ruth Etting was one of the latter. Mae's rendition of "Ain'tcha", from the 1932 cartoon The Betty Boop Limited in which has been heard by over 14,223,329 people is Mae's most popular "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" song to date, even surpassing Helen Kane's original version of the song. A song in which was lip-synced and went viral by a YouTuber by the name of Jbunzie, who in turn lip-synced the audio directly from an old Betty Boop Wikia YouTube channel titled Betty Boop Sings, before JBunzie lip-synced to the channel, the channel itself has already had thousands of views, but JBunzie lip-syncing to the song, made the channel blow up even more and also made her a famous YouTuber in the process and also brought attention to Mae Questel's vocal ability. Quotes *Mae Questel: "Betty Boop'll live forever, I hope." (Motion Picture Herald, 1932) *Mae Questel: "Max re-vamped the character, using a caricature of my own face to create Betty Boop." (The Register, 1975) *Mae Questel: "You know, Betty Boop was always thought of as sexy but Max (her creator) would always say - She's my little girl." (The Register, 1975) *Mae Questel: "The man who introduced us seemed to dwell longer on my likeness to Miss Kane than he did on the others, and the audience resented what it felt was partiality to me. The contest was to be decided on the cheers of the audience, and when I went on I thought that the announcer had killed my chances to win. I guess I was the most surprised person in the theater when I was selected." (The Buffalo Evening News, 1931) *Mae Questel: "It was such fun I loved everything I did. And I loved Max, he was wonderful to me. He called me my little Betty Boop. Boopy-Doopy-Doopy-Doop-Boop-Boopy-Doop, Bop!" *Mae Questel: "Grim Natwick was one of the head animators with Max Fleischer, and he was doing a little dog and he decided let's make a little girl out of her and he spoke to Max about it and before you know it, they made a face and they had me walking and doing little things and that's how she became Betty Boop." *Mae Questel: "She was different, cute and almost for real, you know? Like a little girl, or a grown up girl with a sexy look about her." *Mae Questel: "I always acted like her, and 'I still can do her voice if I want to, you know way up,' haha! 'Boop! Boop-Oopy-Doop!' Hahaha!" *Mae Questel: "I think it's wonderful. Everybody loves Betty Boop. In fact a producer from the coast is trying to put together some brand new Boop cartoons. She's still doing commercials in Japan. I think it's wonderful." (Boston Globe, 1980) *Mae Questel: "I mostly did Olive Oyl and that was a lot of fun. But everywhere I went people wanted to know about Betty Boop. They have Betty Boop T-shirts and fanclubs now. People are rediscovering her and I think it's marvelous." (Boston Globe, 1980) *Mae Questel: "If I showed you what I looked like years ago - I was cute as hell!" (NYT, 1989) *Mae Questel: "Right after they showed a Betty Boop cartoon, I'd break through a sheet of paper and I'd be in the black dress with the garter and a big red heart." (NYT, 1989) *Mae Questel: "Mae West never minded that I imitated her. She told me 'yer pretty good.' In fact I used to tour with her in Florida and don't ask me about the backstage goings-ons because I won't tell you." (NYT, 1989) *Mae Questel: "In World War II when Jack Mercer the actor was in the service, someone dressed as Popeye was hired to fill in for Popeye and was brought into the RCA studio, but he got mic fright so I stepped in and did the voice for Popeye." (NYT, 1989) *Mae Questel: "I was in a porn movie (Hot Resort, 1985) and I didn't know it until afterwards." (NYT, 1989) Role(s) Boop-Boop-a-Doop Champ (1930) Mae Questel, famous because she isn't Helen Kane, yet she could be, wears the blue satin frock again and later trousers and sleeveless middy of rajah silk. Almost unbelievable but it's a fact, with Miss Questel's applause there was hissing. One solution was the noise was hisses from discontented contestants - Miss Questel being the winner. Mae Questel, the New Helen Kane (1930) They gag and warble Coots' hits, also some others, later bringing on Mae Questel, the lass who won the tri-boro Helen Kane contest. Mae got a big ovation, many thinking she was the original Boop-Boop-a-Dooper. She took the house by storm, even after the mixed identity situation was cleared up by Coots. This kid is the real stuff, has looks, great delivery and a truckload of personality. Miss Kane, watch your treading. That's what happens for being good-natured and offering prizes for imitations. A Battery of Songs (1930) Mae Questel, the little lady who won a Helen Kane impersonation contest in New York a few months ago, is now touring the R-K-O vaudeville circuit with no little success. It was Miss Questel you heard singing "Do Something" to Waite Hoyt, the Yankee pitcher, in a short which recently was shown at the Warner. Radio Programs (1931) 8:30 - KDKA - Mae Questel, impersonator. Cast and Broadcast: Boop-Boop-a-Doop (1933) The public has grown accustomed to see radio stars appear in the movies, but few movie stars seem to have broken into radio. However, Betty Boop, of the animated comic strip has Booped herself a fat contract with NBC, and you see her below with her creator, cartoonist Max Fleischer. There has been some discussion as to whether he is touching her up or putting out her eye. Four Betty Boop Girls (1934) In 1934, Mae Questel joined a group called the Four Betty Boop Girls, a girl group that consisted of Margie Hines, Little Ann Little, and Bonnie Poe. Betty Boop (1935) Mae Questel the Betty Boop "voice" in the popular comedy cartoon series. She is appearing this week in person at the Fox. Mae Questel, the Cartoon Betty Boop (1937) Mae Questel, the cartoon Betty Boop, definitely delighted the patrons with her squealish warbling of "What's Wrong With You," "I'm Dangerous Betty Boop" and "Invitation to a Dance," in which she impersonates Marlene Dietrich, ZaSu Pitts, Mae West, Greta Garbo, Maurice Chevalier. For her bow-off, the gaggy bit "I've Got To Go." Other Work Mae Questel also provided the voice of Cute Kitty and Louise the Mouse in Famous Studios Herman & Katnip, Little Audrey and background voices in Casper the Friendly Ghost and Little Lulu in their respective animated shorts; the Woman in the Shoe and Little Bo Peep in Color Classics. In the 1950s, she was the voice for the title character of the pioneering interactive Saturday morning cartoon series Winky Dink and You. Questel was also featured as Buzz the Bee scout in Mr. Bug Goes to Town. She continued to provide the voice for Olive Oyl in television specials and elsewhere until her death. Songs Performed by Mae Questel as Betty Boop *"You're Driving Me Crazy" *"That's My Weakness Now" *"I'm An Indian" *"Hello Beautiful" *"Keep a Little Song Handy" *"I've Got a Cold In My Nose" *"Hi-De-Hi" *"Foolish Facts" *"Mean To Me" *"Crazy Town" *"Change Come Get Your Penny" *"Ain'tcha" *"Home! Sweet Home!" *"I Want To See My Step-Mama" *"When I'm The President" *"Is That the Human Thing to Do?" *"I'm Here In My Penthouse" *"Ha! Ha! Ha! " *"Crazy Jingle" *"All By Myself" *"There's Something About A Soldier" *"Little Pal" *"Keep In Style" *"Noise Noise Noise" *"Not Now" *"Be Human" *"Everybody Oughta Have A Pet" *"No! No! A Thousand Times No!!" *"Language All My Own" *"Over at Grampy's House" *"It's Good For Ya" *"New Deal for Pets" *"Go Out & Make Friends with the World" *"Yippie-Yi-Yo" *"You're Not Built That Way" *"Ya Gotta Have Pep" *Ching Ling Choy" *"Down In Our Alley" *"Vote For Grampy" *"House Cleaning Blues" *"Be Up To Date" Other Mae Questel on her Decca Recordings (1970s): Mae Questel: "You know, I'm a collector's item now. Some of the old records I made for the Decca people are now buying as collectors items.". Recordings as The Betty Boop Girl Shirley Temple Song Covers: *"On the Good Ship Lollipop" *"At The Codfish Ball" *"The Right Somebody To Love" *"Oh, My Goodness!" *"Polly Wolly Doodle" *"When I Grow Up" *"You Gotta Eat Your Spinach Baby" *"Animal Crackers In My Soup" *"In Our Little Wooden Shoes" *"On Account-A I Love You" Other: *"Don't Take My Boop-Oop-A-Doop Away" *"The Girl In The Little Green Hat" *"I Want You For Christmas" *"Button Up Your Overcoat" *"The Wedding Of Jack and Jill" *"Practicing The Piano" *"Choc'late Soldier Man" *"The Broken Record" *"You'd Be Surprised" *"Oh, Gee, Oh Gosh, Oh Golly I'm In Love" *"The Music Goes Round And Around" *"I'm a Little Teapot" & "Polly Put the Kettle On" A Battery of Songs: *"Do Something" Zelig: *"Chameleon Days" as Helen Kane Filmography 1930: *''A Battery of Songs'' 1931: *''Silly Scandals'' *''Musical Justice'' (as Betty Boop in live-action) 1932: *''Minnie the Moocher'' *''Crazy Town'' *''The Dancing Fool'' *''Chess-Nuts'' *''Admission Free'' *''Stopping the Show'' *''Betty Boop, M.D.'' *''Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle'' *''Betty Boop's Ups and Downs'' *''Betty Boop for President'' *''Betty Boop's Museum'' *''The Betty Boop Limited'' *''Wayward'' 1933: *''Betty Boop's Crazy Inventions'' *''Is My Palm Read?'' *''Betty Boop's Penthouse'' *''Snow White'' *''I Heard'' *''I Eats My Spinach'' 1934: *''Ha! Ha! Ha!'' *''Betty Boop's Rise to Fame'' *''Betty Boop's Trial'' *''There's Something About a Soldier'' *''Betty Boop's Little Pal'' *''Betty Boop's Prize Show'' *''Keep in Style'' *''When My Ship Comes In'' *''Shoein' Hosses'' *''Shiver Me Timbers!'' *''A Dream Walking'' *''The Two-Alarm Fire'' *''The Dance Contest'' *''We Aim to Please'' 1935: *''Baby Be Good'' *''Taking the Blame'' *''Stop That Noise'' *''Swat the Fly'' *''No! No! A Thousand Times No!!'' *''A Little Soap and Water'' *''A Language All My Own'' *''Betty Boop and Grampy'' *''Judge for a Day'' *''Making Stars'' *''Henry, the Funniest Living American'' *''Little Nobody'' *''The Kids in the Shoe'' *''Beware of Barnacle Bill'' *''Be Kind to "Aminals"'' *''Pleased to Meet Cha!'' *''The "Hyp-Nut-Tist"'' *''Choose Your "Weppins"'' *''For Better or Worser'' *''You Gotta Be a Football Hero'' *''King of the Mardi Gras'' *''Adventures of Popeye'' 1936: *''Betty Boop and the Little King'' *''Not Now'' *''Betty Boop and Little Jimmy'' *''We Did It'' *''A Song a Day!'' *''More Pep'' *''You're Not Built That Way'' *''Happy You and Merry Me'' *''Training Pigeons'' *''Grampy's Indoor Outing'' *''Be Human'' *''Making Friends'' *''Somewhere in Dreamland'' *''Vim, Vigor and Vitaliky'' *''A Clean Shaven Man'' *''Brotherly Love'' *''I-Ski Love-Ski You-Ski'' *''Bridge Ahoy!'' *''I Wanna Be a Life Guard'' *''Let's Get Movin'' *''Never Kick a Woman'' *''With Little Swee'Pea'' *''Hold the Wire'' *''The Spinach Roadster'' *''Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor'' *''I'm in the Army Now'' 1937: *''House Cleaning Blues'' *''Whoops! I'm a Cowboy'' *''The Hot Air Salesman'' *''Pudgy Takes a Bow-Wow'' *''Pudgy Picks a Fight!'' *''The Impractical Joker'' *''Ding Dong Doggie'' *''The Candid Candidate'' *''Service with a Smile'' *''The New Deal Show'' *''The Foxy Hunter'' *''Zula Hula'' *''Educated Fish'' *''The Paneless Window Washer'' *''Organ Grinder's Swing'' *''Hospitaliky'' *''The Twisker Pitcher'' *''Morning, Noon and Nightclub'' *''Lost and Foundry'' *''I Never Changes My Altitude'' *''I Likes Babies and Infinks'' *''The Football Toucher Downer'' *''Protek the Weakerist'' *''Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves'' *''Fowl Play'' 1938: *''Riding the Rails'' *''Be Up to Date'' *''Let's Celebrake'' *''Learn Polikeness'' *''The House Builder-Upper'' *''Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh'' *''A Date to Skate'' 1944: *''The Anvil Chorus Girl'' *''Spinach Packin' Popeye'' *''Puppet Love'' *''Pitchin' Woo at the Zoo'' *''She-Sick Sailors'' 1945: *''Tops in the Big Top'' *''Shape Ahoy'' *''For Better or Nurse'' *''Mess Production'' 1946: *''House Tricks?'' *''Service with a Guile'' *''Klondike Casanova'' *''Peep in the Deep'' *''Rocket to Mars'' *''Rodeo Romeo'' *''The Fistic Mystic'' *''The Island Fling'' 1947: *''Abusement Park'' *''I'll Be Skiing Ya'' *''Popeye and the Pirates'' *''The Royal Four-Flusher'' *''Wotta Night'' *''Safari So Good'' *''All's Fair at the Fair'' 1948: *''Olive Oyl for President'' *''Wigwam Whoopee'' *''Pre-Hysterical Man'' *''Popeye Meets Hercules'' *''A Wolf in Sheik's Clothing'' *''Spinach vs Hamburgers'' *''Snow Place Like Home'' *''Robin Hood-Winked'' *''Symphony in Spinach'' 1949: *''Popeye's Premiere'' *''Lumberjack and Jill'' *''Hot Air Aces'' *''A Balmy Swami'' *''Tar with a Star'' *''Silly Hillbilly'' *''Barking Dogs Don't Fite'' 1950: *''Gym Jam'' *''Beach Peach'' *''Jitterbug Jive'' *''Popeye Makes a Movie'' *''Baby Wants Spinach'' *''Quick on the Vigor'' *''The Farmer and the Belle'' 1952 *''Lunch with a Punch'' *''Swimmer Take All'' 1953: *''Ancient Fistory'' *''Popeye's Mirthday'' *''Toreadorable'' *''Baby Wants a Battle'' *''Firemen's Brawl'' *''Shaving Muggs'' 1954: *''Floor Flusher'' *''Popeye's 20th Anniversary'' *''Taxi-Turvy'' *''Bride and Gloom'' *''Fright to the Finish'' *''Private Eye Popeye'' 1955: *''Cookin' with Gags'' *''Nurse to Meet Ya'' *''Beaus Will Be Beaus'' *''Car-azy Drivers'' *''Mister and Mistletoe'' *''Cops Is Tops'' *''A Job for a Gob'' 1956: *''Hill-billing and Cooing'' *''Popeye for President'' *''Out to Punch'' *''Assault and Flattery'' *''Parlez Vous Woo'' *''I Don't Scare'' *''A Haul in One'' 1957: *''Nearlyweds'' *''The Crystal Brawl'' *''Spooky Swabs'' 1960: *''Hits and Missiles'' *''Barbecue for Two'' *''Muskels Schmuskels'' *''Hoppy Jalopy'' *''Dead-Eye Popeye'' *''Mueller's Mad Monster'' *''Caveman Capers'' *''Bullfighter Bully'' *''Ace of Space'' *''College of Hard Knocks'' *''Abdominal Snowman'' *''Ski-Jump Chump'' *''Irate Pirate'' *''Foola-Foola Bird'' *''Uranium on the Cranium'' *''Two-Faced Paleface'' *''Childhood Daze'' *''Sheepish Sheep-Herder'' *''Track Meet Cheat'' *''Crystal Ball Brawl'' *''Interrupted Lullaby'' *''Sea No Evil'' *''From Way Out'' *''Seeing Double'' *''Swee'pea Soup'' *''Hag Way Robbery'' *''The Lost City of Bubble-Lon'' *''There's No Space Like Home'' *''Potent Lotion'' *''Astro-Nut'' *''Where There's a Will'' *''Take It Easel'' *''I Bin Sculped'' *''Fleas a Crowd'' *''Popeye's Junior Headache'' *''Egypt Us'' *''The Big Sneeze'' *''The Last Resort'' *''Jeopardy Sheriff'' *''Baby Phase'' *''Goon with the Wind'' *''Insultin' the Sultan'' *''Dog-Gone Dog-Catcher'' *''Voice from the Deep or See Here, Sea Hag'' *''Matinee Idol Popeye'' *''Beaver or Not'' *''Battery Up'' *''Deserted Desert'' *''Skinned Divers'' *''Popeye's Service Station'' *''Coffee House'' *''Popeye's Pep-Up Emporium'' *''Bird Watcher Popeye'' *''Time Marches Backwards'' *''Popeye's Pet Store'' *''Ballet de Spinach'' *''Sea Hagracy'' *''Spinach Shortage'' *''Popeye and the Dragon'' *''Popeye the Fireman'' *''Popeye's Pizza Palace'' *''Down the Hatch'' *''Lighthouse Keeping'' *''Popeye and the Phantom'' *''Popeye's Picnic'' *''Out of This World'' *''Madam Salami'' *''Timber Toppers'' *''Skyscraper Capers'' *''Private Eye Popeye'' *''Little Olive Riding Hood'' *''Popeye's Hypnotic Glance'' *''Popeye's Trojan Horse'' *''Frozen Feuds'' *''Popeye's Corn-Certo'' *''Westward Ho-Ho'' *''Popeye's Cool Pool'' *''Jeep Jeep'' *''Popeye's Museum Piece'' *''Golf Brawl'' *''Wimpy's Lunch Wagon'' *''Weather Watchers'' *''Popeye and the Giant'' *''Hill Billy Dilly'' *''Popeye and the Magic Hat'' *''Pest of the Pecos'' *''The Blubbering Whaler'' *''Popeye and the Spinach Stalk'' *''Shoot the Chutes'' *''Tiger Burger'' *''Bottom Gun'' *''Olive Drab and the Seven Sweapeas'' *''Blinkin Beacon'' *''Azteck Wreck'' *''The Green Dancin' Shoes'' *''Spare Dat Tree'' *''The Glad Gladiator'' *''The Golden Touch'' *''Hamburger Fishing'' *''Popeye the Popular Mechanic'' *''Popeye's Folly'' *''Popeye's Used Car'' *''Spinachonara'' *''Popeye and the Polite Dragon'' *''Popeye the Ugly Ducklin.'' *''Popeye's Tea Party'' *''The Troll Wot Got Gruff'' *''Popeye the Lifeguard'' *''Popeye in the Woods'' *''After the Ball Went Over'' *''Popeye and Buddy Brutus'' *''Popeye's Car Wash'' *''Camel Aires'' *''Plumbers Pipe Dream'' *''Popeye and the Herring Snatcher'' *''Invisible Popeye'' *''The Square Egg'' *''Old Salt Tale'' *''Jeep Tale'' *''The Super Duper Market'' *''Golden-Type Fleece'' *''Popeye the White Collar Man'' *''Sweapea Thru the Looking Glass'' *''The Black Knight'' *''Jingle Jangle Jungle'' *''The Day Silky Went Blozo'' *''Rip Van Popeye'' *''Mississippi Sissy'' *''Double Cross Country Feet Race'' *''Fashion Fotography'' *''I Yam Wot I Yamnesia'' *''Paper Pasting Pandemonium'' *''Coach Popeye'' *''Popeyed Columbus'' *''Popeye Revere'' *''Popeye in Haweye'' *''Forever Ambergris'' *''Popeye De Leon'' *''Popeyed Fisherman'' *''Popeye in the Grand Steeple Chase'' *''Uncivil War'' *''Popeye the Piano Mover'' *''Popeye's Testimonial Dinner'' *''Around the World in Eighty Ways'' *''Popeye's Fixit Shop'' *''Bell Hop Popeye'' *''The Ghost Host'' *''Strikes, Spares, an' Spinach'' *''Jeep Is Jeep'' *''The Spinach Scholar'' *''Psychiatricks'' *''Rags to Riches to Rags'' *''Hair Cut-Ups'' *''Poppa Popeye'' *''Quick Change Olie'' *''The Valley of the Goons'' *''Me Quest for Poopdeck Pappy'' *''Moby Hick'' *''Mirror Magic'' *''It Only Hurts When They Laugh'' *''Wimpy the Moocher'' *''Voo-Doo to You Too'' *''Popeye Goes Sale-ing'' *''Popeye's Travels'' *''Incident at Missile City'' *''Dog Catcher Popeye'' *''What's News'' *''Spinach Greetings'' *''The Baby Contest'' 1961: *''Oil's Well That Ends Well'' *''Motor Knocks'' *''Amusement Park'' *''Duel to the Finish'' *''Gem Jam'' *''The Bathing Beasts'' *''The Rain Breaker'' *''Messin' Up the Mississippi'' *''Love Birds'' *''Sea Serpent'' *''Boardering on Trouble'' *''Aladdin's Lamp'' *''Butler Up'' *''The Leprechaun'' *''County Fair'' *''Hamburgers Aweigh'' *''Popeye's Double Trouble'' *''Kiddie Kapers'' *''The Mark of Zero'' *''Myskery Melody'' *''Scairdy Cat'' *''Operation Ice-Tickle'' *''The Cure'' *''William Won't Tell'' *''Pop Goes the Whistle'' *''Autographically Yours'' *''A Poil for Olive Oyl'' *''My Fair Olive'' *''Giddy Gold'' *''Strange Things Are Happening'' *''The Medicine Man'' *''A Mite of Trouble'' *''Who's Kidding Zoo'' *''Robot Popeye'' *''Sneaking Peeking'' *''Seer-ring Is Believer-ring'' *''The Wiffle Bird's Revenge'' *''Going Going Gone'' *''Popeye Thumb'' *''The Billionaire'' *''Model Muddle'' *''Which Is Witch'' *''Disguise the Limit'' *''Spoil Sport'' 1961: *''Oil's Well That Ends Well'' *''Motor Knocks'' *''Amusement Park'' *''Duel to the Finish'' *''Gem Jam'' *''The Bathing Beasts'' *''The Rain Breaker'' *''Messin' Up the Mississippi'' *''Love Birds'' *''Sea Serpent'' *''Boardering on Trouble'' *''Aladdin's Lamp'' *''Butler Up'' *''The Leprechaun'' *''County Fair'' *''Hamburgers Aweigh'' *''Popeye's Double Trouble'' *''Kiddie Kapers'' *''The Mark of Zero'' *''Myskery Melody'' *''Scairdy Cat'' *''Operation Ice-Tickle'' *''The Cure'' *''William Won't Tell'' *''Pop Goes the Whistle'' *''Autographically Yours'' *''A Poil for Olive Oyl'' *''My Fair Olive'' *''Giddy Gold'' *''Strange Things Are Happening'' *''The Medicine Man'' *''A Mite of Trouble'' *''Who's Kidding Zoo'' *''Robot Popeye'' *''Sneaking Peeking'' *''Seer-ring Is Believer-ring'' *''The Wiffle Bird's Revenge'' *''Going Going Gone'' *''Popeye Thumb'' *''The Billionaire'' *''Model Muddle'' *''Which Is Witch'' *''Disguise the Limit'' *''Spoil Sport'' *''Have Time Will Travel'' *''Intellectual Interlude'' *''Partial Post'' *''Weight for Me'' 1962: *''Canine Caprice'' *''Roger'' *''Tooth Be or Not Tooth Be'' 1983: *''Zelig'' 1985: *''Hot Resort'' 1988: *''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' 1989: *''New York Stories: Woody Allen Segment Oedipus Wrecks'' *''Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' 2016: *''Spinach & Stockings: The Adventures of Betty Boop & Popeye'' (Archived) Death *Mae Questel died in 1998 from complications related to Alzheimer's disease at the age of 89 in New York City. She was buried in West Babylon, New York's New Montefiore Cemetery. She had two sons, Robert Balkin, who pre-deceased her, and Richard, who survived her. Gallery 4485255798 7764e6f763 m.jpg Mae1.jpg Mae2.jpg Mae3.png Mae4.PNG Mae5.jpg Mae6.png Mae Questel 02.PNG Mae Questel 03.PNG Mae Questel 04.PNG Mae questel.jpg Mae questel.jpg Trivia *Questel had a withered arm; in her on-camera film appearances, she was usually photographed with elbows bent and both hands at her waist or holding an object in the crook of her elbow to make it less obvious that one arm was shorter and smaller than the other. * Mae Questel was once thought to have been the only voice of Betty Boop, when Betty was revived in the 1980s. She was also once credited for every cartoon released, that had been ported to VHS and DVD. She would be credited as doing over 100 cartoons as Betty. * Questel had embarked upon a career in teaching when some of her friends, knowing her to be a natural mimic, entered her in a Helen Kane impersonation contest at the RKO Fordham Theater, where Miss Helen Kane was appearing. * Questel's dead-on mimicry earned her a contract with the RKO vaudeville circuit which finally kicked off her professional career of voice acting. * Mae Questel is perhaps best known as "Aunt Bluebell" in the 1970s Scott Towels paper towel commercials, and as Aunt Bethany in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. *Mae Questel is often mistaken for Bonnie Poe in Hollywood on Parade No. A-8. *In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, her voice was pitched higher as her natural voice had dropped. See Also *The Attractive Prize Winning Boop Boop a Doop Girl (1929) *Diminutive Bronx Elocution Teacher (1929) *Contest Gave Chance to Star (1931) *Betty Boop Visits Store Here and Entertains Crowd (1932) *Betty Boop and Her Gang Have Bright Radio Future (1933) *Five Betty Boops Silent In Court (1934) *Boopers To Boop (1934) *Boop Vs Boop May the Best Boop Win (1934) *Featured Screen and In Person (1934) *Are Helen Kane and Mae Questel One and the Same? (1935) *Betty Boop of the Cartoons Tells Tales on Mae Questel (1935) *TV's Voice of Experience (1957) *Mae Questel, Actress, Voice Of Betty Boop, Olive Oyl (1998) *Voice of Betty Boop Dies (1998) *Mae Questel Wiki *Mae Questel Gallery ---- Category:Article stubs Category:People Category:Featured Category:Voices of Betty Boop Category:Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl Category:Boop-Oop-a-Doop Girl Category:The Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl Category:The Boop-Oop-a-Doop Girl Category:Mae Questel